Getting A Rental Car In Mexico

[Travel Guru]

On your next vacation into Mexico, have you thought about getting a rental car? I would never drive my own vehicle into Mexico because I would like to see it the next day, but I would consider getting a rental car in Mexico.

One of the most popular ways to travel in Mexico is by renting a car. Mexico car rental is generally inexpensive, though often times rates are inflated for tourists. Though you may not be paying prices for Mexico car rentals that reflect the value of Mexican money, you certainly won't find that costs exceed what you would pay for a rental car back home. Popular tourist cities such as Cancun car rental will usually offer discounts for booking a rental car through your hotel.

With the largest infrastructure of paved roads and highways of any country in Latin America, car rental in Mexico is an excellent choice. Maintenance on many roads, however, is not very frequent and drivers will find that many highways have potholes or other obstructions, so staying alert when driving is paramount to a safe trip. As with most developing countries, you will also find that just about every major highway in Mexico has toll stops along the way, so be sure to keep some cash on hand.

If you rent a car from an international car rental agency, you can probably reserve your car by calling a toll free number or visiting the company's web site. You will be quoted a price and given a reservation number. Typically a car rental agency will give you a 10% discount off the regular price for any of a variety of reasons. When you pick up your car in Mexico, the clerk will often attempt to write the contract for the full rate unless you object. If you made the reservation in the U.S., you were probably quoted a price in dollars and of course in Mexico the charge will be in pesos so you will need to be prepared to check the rate in pesos.

The rental agency will want you to have a credit card. They may run the card twice, once for the rental amount and a second time just in case of damages with the amount left blank. When you return the car in good condition, this blank charge slip should be returned to you or destroyed in your presence. If you have a gold or platinum credit card, the credit card company may provide rental car insurance free of charge for car rentals paid for with the credit card. Check you credit card information to see if you have this coverage and review the terms before renting the car and you may be able to save the cost of insurance. If you have a debit card, you may be charged a deposit on the car rather than running a blank ticket. This can seriously deplete your available funds while on vacation.

Common sense points like checking your car is fully insured and finding out how much damage premiums are levied by the rental company should be taken into consideration. It's also wise to inspect your car carefully at the time of renting it and it wouldn't hurt to make a check list. Any damage however insignificant should always be documented.

Also, be aware that Mexico is notorious for levying high drop-off charges in case you're unable to return the car from where you originally rented it from. This is usually between 20 to 40 percent of the actual price of renting the car so it's best to carefully plan your trip ahead of time if you want to avoid paying additional costs.